Enter Digital World
by impmontamer03
Summary: Hungering for a challenge and a big bounty, Guile decided to track down the missing great mage of Magic Guild regardless of the rumors about how perilous the quest might be.
1. And so It Begins

**A/N: This idea has been lingering for a long time in my head. Yes, now is the time for me to unleash this idea. Note that the Digimon universe here is loosely based on the PSOne game **_**Digimon World**_**. For those who are unfamiliar with Chrono Cross universe, 'G' is the currency there. And of course, Guile's personality is not very similar to the Chrono Cross canon at this moment, given that this takes place four years before the canon (and realistically, people **_**do**_** change after a time frame). Also, disregard 'Guile is Magus' speculation.**

**In addition, this is rated T. High T, because there will be implied rape in later chapters.**

**All disclaimers apply.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: And so It Begins**

_**1016 AD, Magic Guild Alley**_

Two vandals.

Smirking, Guile wiggled his finger at them.

The men roared and came to him with their torching fists.

Guile jumped into the air and landed a heel on the man's skull. One down. Just one more to go to get the bounty.

The man glared at him, pulling back a burning fist.

Guile jumped back, dodging an incoming fire punch. But he didn't know about the long reach of the attack. Now, his stomach was charred. Threads of smoke were escaping from the burns.

The man grinned. "You're careless, bounty hunter."

Guile charged and punched the man on his gut. Hard. He sent the man crashing into the trashcans with it.

"I will turn you in." With his hands in the pocket of his trousers, Guile slowly walked towards the seemingly unconscious man.

The man suddenly snapped his eyes open and picked up a trashcan lid beside him. Using it as a discus, he threw it at Guile.

Guile tilted his head to the left. Soon, his left ear detected a brief whizzing sound. When the noise faded, he could feel both burning and throbbing pain on his left temple.

"Ya ain't getting any closer!" the man shouted, his palm facing Guile. "I'm gonna blast ya with a fireball!"

Guile simply booted the man on the face. The nonchalant, yet strong kick sent blood gushing out of the man's nostrils.

"Resistance is futile, sir." Upon saying that, Guile delivered a foot to the man's solar plexus.

The man was out cold.

Guile was victorious.

_**1016 AD, Magic Guild Tavern**_

2,000G. Easy money. That value was too high for two small fry. There was no challenge in fighting those two guys. Burns? Bruises? Hmph, they were negligible injuries. He only needed a low-level healing spell to eliminate the paltry irritation from them.

Guile sipped on his wine. How refreshing. It was sweet, bitter, and warming to his throat at the same time.

People passed by, gossiping about bounties and wanted crooks as they walked. High value bounties, stronger thugs, more challenges… Guile leant back against the bar counter and closed his eyes. Passersby would think that he was sleeping now. Good. None might know that his pair of ears was actually ready to gather information.

Yet he heard nothing interesting after spending five minutes 'dozing'.

If such passive act didn't reward him anything, then he'd better be active and look for new bounty to hunt. He might need to go to the bulletin board on the park.

He opened his eyes and finished the glass of wine in his hand. After putting the wineglass on the counter, he reached for the pockets on his trousers for money.

He raised a hand of his to halt the bartender. As the barkeep stopped in front of him, he handed a few banknotes to him before standing up and walking away to the bar's door.

_**1016 AD, Magic Guild**_

With his hands in the pockets of his trousers, Guile strode along the concrete path. His gaze was on the ground, yet his ears weren't. They were ready to do a little eavesdropping work, just like before. Perhaps there would be some interesting stuff to learn from a few talkative passersby.

That worked. His ears caught an interesting piece of information.

He stopped on his tracks and closed his eyes, trying not to appear suspicious.

"Recently, someone nailed a poster about the missing great mage Nicholas. I read that whoever found him and brought him home alive would receive 1,000,000G from the government."

"1,000,000G?"

"Because he's rumored to be not in this world!"

"Then where?"

"Dunno. He probably entered the strange portal he created in his house. He has been missing for several months. And now his house is guarded by the government."

"Damn, a great mage like him is missing for that long time? The portal must lead to somewhere dangerous."

"Maybe. That's prolly the reason why the government is willing to give so much money just to find him."

Guile grinned. Challenge and huge bounty. What could be more interesting than those two things?

He opened his eyes and continued walking, oblivious to the passersby around. He had earned the information he needed. Nicholas' address? Well, who in this guild didn't know where a great mage's house was? If none knew, then such bounty quest wouldn't exist after all.

Silently, he sauntered up to the T junction ahead and turned right.

After three minutes of a non-stop walking, he arrived at his destination. Two bald, grey-bearded men in white robes were standing in front of a brick hut, essentially blocking the entrance to the building.

He stopped in front of them and gave out a confident smile. "I will find the missing great mage."

"Well? You're the second mage who is brave enough to do this bounty quest," one of the men replied.

"Second?"

"An old lady had entered the portal before you."

"Never mind." Guile stepped ahead. "Let me in."

"You're quite impatient, aren't you?" the men moved aside, opening the path to the door.

"I'm not impatient," he calmly replied. "A young man like me must not lose to an old lady."

"Well, then, good luck."

Guile nodded and walked towards the hut's door.

Click!

He turned the doorknob and opened the door.

_**1016 AD, Nicholas' House**_

As he entered the house, he leant back and inhaled deeply.

"Atchoo!"

Dust flew everywhere as he abruptly exhaled a gust of air and a rain of saliva.

What a dirty house. It wasn't just dusty; cobwebs were everywhere on the hut's corners and the moldy furniture. Looked like Nicholas had indeed, been missing for a long time…and nobody bothered to tidy the house.

Rubbing his itchy nose with a finger, he walked ahead slowly. The room was growing brighter as he pressed forward. There seemed to be something working as a light source. And that might be the portal.

He was right.

As a flat, glowing rectangle approached his sight, he stopped to observe it. He had to double-check that this was indeed, the portal he was searching for.

A painting seemed to exist on the flat surface of the rectangle. It looked like a picture of a lush island with a craggy mountain jutting out from its center.

Guile wasn't sure if this was really the portal, but the 'painting' was convincing. Besides, there didn't seem to be any other things like this in this small, dirty hut.

He stepped into the portal.

As he did, he found himself plummeting down rapidly like a rock. His foot stepped on nothing.

Quickly, he leant back and flicked his feet. Regaining composure, he found out that he was hovering in the wide cerulean sky. He smiled at this; flight magic came in handy at this moment.

He looked down. The earth was further below him; in this height, he could see nothing other than a patch of green and brown down there. He chuckled at the sight. If he hadn't known how to fly, he was sure that he would end up in pieces once his body crashed on the ground.

Flying downwards at high velocity, he found the building on the lush earth rushing up to meet him.

As the grassy ground was close to his eyes, he flew upwards a bit and positioned his feet for a landing.

He had arrived at what might be his destination.

But he didn't know what to do.

He looked around, hoping to find more information. But there was nobody.

At this, he believed that there might be people inside this strange house. It might look like a giant cardboard, but the antennae and the chimney on the roof hinted that somebody did live in it.

He didn't waste any time to give a second thought. Quickly, he paced into the house through the doorless entrance.

Inside, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His muscles tensed in response to the scene. This house contained nobody but _monsters_. A short white-haired man who looked like a caveman stood with a staff in his hand. Surrounding him, there were a tiny coal-colored, yellow-eyed bear head and a white chubby bat-like creature.

And there was a doorless entrance at the wall of this house, which led to another room. More monsters might be hiding there.

"Ah, a newcomer," the man said.

Guile rushed and delivered a straight punch.

The man easily parried it with a fist of his.

"Chill out, kid," the man said, his shaggy white mustache and beard swaying as he talked in a muffled voice. "If you're looking for bad guys, this isn't the place. They are lurking out there in Digital World."

Guile took a step backwards. Eyebrows twitching, he asked, "Digital World? What is this? I don't understand anything."

"We are Digital Monsters, or in short, Digimon," the man replied. "You first have to know that not all Digimon is evil."

Guile rubbed the back of his neck. A confused look was visible on his face as he nodded. It appeared to be safe to trust this man.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Jijimon, the owner of this house." He pointed at the black Digimon on his right side. "This is Botamon." He then pointed at the white Digimon on his other side. "And this is Tokomon."

"Welcome to File City!" Botamon and Tokomon exclaimed.

"File City…?"

The man nodded. "It's the name of this little town. What brings you here anyway?"

"Did you see an old lady earlier?" Guile knew that he could just ask about Nicholas, but he wanted to confirm if this place were his destination.

"Yeah, she said that she was looking for someone named Nicholas."

Bingo.

"You know her, kid?"

Guile nodded. "You know where Nicholas is?"

"You're impatient, aren't you?"

"I ask of you, where is Nicholas? I'm looking for him."

"Kid, if you're impatient like that, you'll find yourself in trouble here. Digital World can be very dangerous if you aren't careful."

"Cut that out, Jijimon," Guile growled, glaring at Jijimon. "Where is Nicholas?"

"I won't tell you unless you prove your capability."

"Tell me what to do then."

"Fine." Jijimon shrugged. "Go to Native Forest and find Palmon. Ask her to come to this city." He paused. "She has green thumb, so she can grow more food for us here."

Guile smirked. "Fine. I will do it."

"You know where Native Forest is?"

"I don't know, but I'll find it as I explore this island."

"Well, in that case, you'll need a partner Digimon," Jijimon said.

"A partner Digimon?"

"Gabumon! Come here!"

A reply came from the doorless entrance of an unfamiliar chamber, "Coming, Jijimon!"

Traveling with a monster? What the hell?

But as long as the Digimon was helpful, it didn't matter.

Soon, a horned dinosaur-like creature ran out of the room. He was wearing an oversized blue wolf pelt, which acted like a cape and covered almost the entirety of his small yellow body.

"This is Gabumon," Jijimon said. "He'll help you in your journey."

Gabumon stopped in front of Guile and offered a paw. "Hey, I'm Gabumon."

He wanted a handshake? Well, not bad at all. Gabumon was quite polite for a monster.

Guile grabbed Gabumon's paw and shook it. "I'm Guile."

"Okay, Guile. Let's go!" Gabumon said, smiling as he released Guile's hand and walked past him.

Guile turned to join Gabumon and together, they walked out of Jijimon's house.


	2. Trust

_**File City**_

Guile had never thought that he would end up with a monster – no, a Digimon as his ally in this journey. He had a hunch that his partner might only hamper his advance.

Or perhaps not. These monsters seemed to be powerful creatures. Earlier, he tried to punch Jijimon, but to no avail. That caveman-like Digimon blocked his fist – a fist from a bounty hunter who had relied on fisticuffs for years to ensure no death to the hunted crooks.

This meant that he could probably count on this horned pelt-wearing dinosaur-like Digimon.

But he had to make sure that Gabumon were truly a valuable ally. How? He would let the Digimon solve a few problems by himself first.

Together with Gabumon, Guile trod the verdant ground lightly, walking along the path between the bushes and the trees. What a lush place. Native Forest should be near.

Once he felt like crushing some dried twigs and leaves under his feet, he could confirm that they were now at…

"Native Forest," Gabumon said, stopping on his tracks. "Hey, Guile. We're here!"

Guile simply nodded.

"You're a quiet one, aren't you?"

Guile halted at that remark. What Gabumon had said was true; when talking was unnecessary, he wouldn't open his mouth. And his distrust to Gabumon just meant that conversations weren't important.

"Well, no probs. Let's go."

**CHAPTER 2: Trust**

_**Native Forest**_

Dried leaves dropped off, swaying in the air before landing on the ground. Leaves, trees, bushes, little fungi… Guile looked around in silent appreciation of them all. The forest in Digital World was no different from the world he came from. Vegetation was still a reliable standard to determine whether one was in the woods or not.

Hmm, vegetation… How about wild animals – or rather, wild Digimon then?

Guile looked at Gabumon. "Gabumon, do wild Digimon exist?"

"Of course! There are plenty outside File City."

Excellent! Should a wild Digimon attack, Guile would let Gabumon fight it off by himself. That should be a good test for his ally – no, his prospective ally.

Minutes passed. Nothing stood out in this forest. No unusual things, no wild Digimon… Digital World was just as boring as Guile's world when he wasn't hunting for bounties or drinking.

Guile yawned and sported a saggy face afterwards. Trees, bushes, falling leaves; there was nothing interesting with them.

"You're sleepy, Guile?"

Guile nodded.

"You wanna rest?"

Little bootlicker… Guile didn't answer Gabumon.

"Or maybe you wanna eat? I can find some food here."

Guile stopped walking. That offer sounded nice; it would also test Gabumon's capability.

"Yes," Guile replied, looking at a smiling Gabumon. "I'd love to."

Gabumon nodded. "Okay, just wait here, Guile."

Guile watched Gabumon walking away from him and towards the bushes. Perfect. All he needed now was hoping for the appearance of a wild Digimon.

The chance of encountering a wild Digimon should be high. They were monsters, and they should love eating. There had to be a lot of wild Digimon around a food source.

Guile sauntered up to Gabumon and smiled at him. He appeared to be a capable forager. Shrubbery on the path? Let the paws do the job.

Crisp rustling sounds echoed Gabumon split the shrubbery with his clawed hands, opening a path for him.

Gabumon walked past the opening he created. Upon reaching a clearing, he remained still.

What was he doing? He wouldn't accomplish anything by standing still!

Curious, Guile crept towards the leafy mess of the shrubbery. Oops. He shouldn't have judged things quickly. Gabumon was sniffing the air whilst standing. Good boy.

Gabumon turned right and looked at the bush. Great. He had probably detected something edible behind it.

Wrong!

The bush was shaking.

A wild Digimon was approaching.

All of a sudden, a lizard-like creature with jumped out of the shrubbery. His body was lime green in color, which made the big red fin on his back look flashy.

"This is my territory!" he screamed, rolling in the air. "Blade Fin!"

Looking at the Digimon turning into a wheel, Guile smiled. This should be a good test.

The wild Digimon rolled down, ready to tackle Gabumon.

Gabumon inhaled deeply. "Blue Blaster!" He opened his densely-fanged mouth and ushered forth a small stream of blue flame from the gaping maw.

The fire and the Digimon collided.

On collision, the blue flame diffused into tiny sparks in the air.

The wild Digimon continued rolling down. Fast.

In one perfect, graceful leap, Gabumon dodged the wheel, leaving the wild Digimon ripping through the empty air.

The wild Digimon's fin dug deep into the ground. Upside down, he moved his body left and right, struggling to tear his flipper out of the ground and turn over.

Guile grinned at this. Gabumon was quite a worthy ally. He wasn't just good at sensing enemy's presence; he also fought well.

"ModokiBetamon, I'm sure that you have some Digimushrooms in your territory." Gabumon smiled. "Tell me, and I'll just let you go."

What was this? Offering the enemy a chance to live?

_Leniency._ Guile growled at that word. For him, being lenient to the enemy would only hamper one's advance.

He was correct.

Rocks and broken twigs flew into the air as ModokiBetamon managed to break free and turn over.

Standing on the ground, ModokiBetamon reared back like a horse. "Electric…" Arches of electricity gathered in front of his face, merging into a small thunder ball.

"Negotiation doesn't work, eh?" Gabumon shrugged. He breathed in. "Blue-"

"…Shock!" ModokiBetamon bent over, sending a bolt of lightning hurtling towards Gabumon.

The thunder struck Gabumon. It didn't just interrupt him from casting his Blue Blaster; it also charred his body and sent him keeling over.

Guile placed a palm on his face and shook his head. A lenient ally like Gabumon would only act as an obstacle to him.

ModokiBetamon jumped up high into the air.

At the same time, Gabumon managed to recuperate and stand up. He then launched himself into the air, his horn sparkling in the sun.

ModokiBetamon leant back, ready to roll. "Blade-"

But he was cut short.

Gabumon had driven his horn into ModokiBetamon's stomach.

ModokiBetamon let out a shrill shriek, and soon, his body disintegrated into green and red dust.

Gabumon was victorious.

Guile stared at Gabumon. He didn't know whether he should smile or not. Sure, Gabumon had killed ModokiBetamon, but he had let his guard down with an unnecessary negotiation. That had inflicted avoidable injuries to him.

But that didn't seem to matter after all. The negotiation briefly put Gabumon at a disadvantage, but he still won. He was a worthy ally indeed.

Guile stood still to see what Gabumon was going to do. ModokiBetamon was dead, so he'd better continue his search for food.

His wish came true.

Gabumon slashed the bush with his paw. A path opened, and he walked past it. There, he hunched and dug his claws into the soil.

Hmm, digging? Food never existed underground.

But this was Digital World; Guile had to keep reminding himself that he was there. Not everything here should be the same with the real world.

He'd better give Gabumon a chance.

Splashes resounded as clumps of dirt left Gabumon's paws and hit the ground. Soon, Gabumon performed a snatching movement with an arm and turned.

"I've got food, Guile!" Gabumon smiled with a giant mushroom in his hands. "You know this? This is a Digimushroom. It's healthy and filling!"

Guile raised an eyebrow. Really, it was just an oversized shiitake mushroom that was about as big as Gabumon's head. Huge black cap. Giant yellowish stalk. How could one large common fungus settle one's growling stomach effectively?

Never mind. Guile wasn't too hungry anyway. He'd just consider the mushroom as a snack.

Guile walked towards Gabumon and picked the Digimushroom up from his hands. "Thanks." He turned away. "Let's go, Gabumon. I'll eat it as we walk."

They resumed their walking.

A sudden spurt of water gushed out from the Digimushroom's cap when Guile dug his teeth in it. Clear liquid was now trickling down his lips and chin.

Guile quickly wiped his mouth with his left sleeve. He didn't want people to mistaken him for drooling over a giant shiitake mushroom, even though there was nobody other than Gabumon around.

Guile bit the Digimushroom's cap several times, spurting water everywhere as his teeth met the fungus. His face was now messy; clear liquid was dripping down his sharp nose and chin. If Gabumon looked at him, the Digimon would probably choke himself with laughter.

He'd better avoid that!

He munched the Digimushroom vigorously. Yes! The cap was now wrinkled and slightly smaller!

Quickly, Guile shoved the mushroom into his mouth, leaving the stalk exposed to the environment. He then bit the gummy stem hard repeatedly, hoping to get rid of it soon.

After chewing for a few minutes, Guile found his jaw's muscles rebelling against him. It now hurt to masticate the Digimushroom. Unfortunately, the stalk was still attached to the mushroom's cap.

What a troublesome snack! Just like eating rubber.

Guile grew angry with the Digimushroom. He gripped the stalk firmly. With his teeth burrowed deeply in part of the fungus' stem inside his mouth, he pulled the mushroom away.

Yes!

Guile had managed to bite the stalk off. What a relief.

He tossed away the stem. That thing did not worth eating, unless he wanted to damage his jaw and his teeth.

He wiped his wet mouth and chin with his left sleeve. Then he kept walking without chewing the Digimushroom in his mouth. His jaw needed some rest.

Moments later, he resumed chewing the mushroom in his mouth. He squeezed the remaining liquid out of the fungus with his steady jaw movements.

Yuck.

His mouth suddenly tasted like rainwater. It made sense anyway; the Digimushroom was freshly dug out of the soil.

Upon swallowing the chewed remains of the mushroom slowly, Guile frowned and looked around frantically to find fresh water. He had to cleanse that bitter taste from his mouth.

"What's up, Guile?"

Guile grunted.

"You don't look well."

Guile turned to Gabumon, who was looking at him with a puzzled face. "The Digimushroom tasted bad," he muttered.

Gabumon chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

Guile gritted his teeth, his face contorted. He had to eat that foul-tasting mushroom as long as he was here? Aw, man!

But it appeared that he had to bear the pain if he wished to find Nicholas.

Never mind. Once he was done with the bounty quest, he'd go home and spend his money on several pints of wine to forget about how the Digimushroom tasted like.

He continued walking the forest with Gabumon.

And they soon stopped as they heard some rustles and chatters.

Gabumon began sniffing the air.

Guile overheard an interesting conversation.

A creaky voice of a grandma came from somewhere behind the trees, "Agumon, are we still far from Kunemon?"

"Yeah, Kunemon likes dark places, so he must be deep inside this forest."

A grandma… A Digimon to travel with…

A rival.

Guile believed that the grandma should be the old lady he heard from the guards earlier. So Jijimon had also let a Digimon travel with her.

Long story short, they posed a threat to his bounty quest.

He'd better hinder or eliminate them. That was a kind of lowly thing to do, but when it was about rivalry, everything worked.

Guile leapt into a stout branch of a tall tree. He could see more clearly there. A woman in a green cloak was standing on the earth below with a small yellow dinosaur Digimon.

"Agumon, behind us!"

She knew his presence? Did he make any noises earlier or what?

Agumon turned. Looking at Guile, he inhaled deeply. "Pepper Breath!"

A fireball blasted off from Agumon's gaping maw and rocketed towards Guile.

Guile jumped over the blazing sphere and swooped down. He smashed headfirst into Agumon. The impact knocked the dinosaur Digimon down.

Guile flew upwards, swerved, and positioned his legs for a landing.

He then glared at the granny in green and Agumon, who was getting up.

"You look like someone from Magic Guild, boy."

"You too, are one of the people from Magic Guild."

"Heh." The grandma chuckled. "Boy, I'm glad to have found somebody familiar here!"

Guile raised an eyebrow. What did this granny mean?

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Fortuna the Fortuneteller," the grandma said, smiling. "I'm looking for Nicholas, just like you."

How the hell could Fortuna know everything?

Hmm, she had just introduced herself as a _fortuneteller. _It made sense if she knew about him.

A fortuneteller? Danger! She might know Nicholas' position! He'd better be fast or perhaps, hinder her advance.

"Your name is Guile, right?"

Guile nodded. He now found nothing strange with Fortuna knowing about him.

"Well, Guile, I think it's the best if we work together, then we split the bounty in half after finding Nicholas."

What had she just said? Working together?

"I beg your pardon?"

"Let's work together. After finding Nicholas, we'll split the bounty in half."

Guile's eyebrows twitched in disbelief.

"Ma'am, I don't trust you."

"Why should an old lady lie? Besides, I'm a fortuneteller. If I lie, I'm killing my own business."

Guile folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I find it hard to trust someone I've just met, especially if the said person is my potential rival."

"Forget about rivalry, Guile. If we work together, we can be faster."

Guile opened his eyes to look at the standing Fortuna and Agumon. "That makes sense, but I have a hunch that you'll betray me. Betrayal resets everything to zero."

"Fortuna is a nice old lady!" Agumon suddenly shouted, waving his arms. "She won't do that!"

"Simply telling me that won't convince me," Guile insisted, bowing down with his eyes slit and his hands clenched. "People always tell me that somebody is good, kind, etc, but later it turns out that the said person is-"

All of a sudden, a picture of a bald, broad-necked man with thick black moustache and beard flashed in his mind.

At this, Guile held his head and gritted his teeth. _That wretch!_ _Not him again! NOT HIM!_

His vision suddenly blackened.

He couldn't stop his urge to roar aloud and pound the ground with his fists.

"Guile, get ahold of yourself!"

That familiar calling snapped him back to his senses. It didn't sound like the voice of a grandma, but there was something…familiar with that loud, yet gentle voice.

Slowly, the view of a forest emerged in his vision, replacing the blackness in his sight with green and brown.

He soon spotted a horned pelt-wearing dinosaur-like Digimon standing in front of him, looking at him with a pair of concerned red eyes. Gabumon. He seemed to be genuinely caring, not just a bootlicker.

"You okay?"

Guile shook his head.

"Guile," Fortuna suddenly said, walking towards Guile slowly. "Something isn't right with you."

Guile muttered, "Our talk reminded me of somebody, ma'am."

"Who?" Fortuna and Gabumon asked.

"Somebody…" Guile stared vacantly ahead. "A wretch."

"Hmm…" Fortuna walked past Gabumon, stopped in front of Guile, and gazed directly into Guile's eyes.

At this, Guile raised a fist and snapped, "Why are you looking at me like that? Get lost!"

"Oh, okay, sorry about that," Fortuna said, taking several steps backwards. "I can't read you completely this way, but I now understand you." She paused. "Actually, I can read people by their palms, but I bet you won't let me do that as I'll need to touch your hands."

"You understand me very well indeed," Guile murmured, lowering his hand.

"What's the matter with holding hands?" Agumon snickered. "Really, I think there's nothing wrong with that!"

Fortuna looked at Agumon. "Agumon, don't bring that up in front of Guile."

"Why?"

"Digimon, especially young Digimon, won't understand why. Just forget about it, Agumon." Fortuna returned her focus to Guile. "You still won't trust me I guess, but if you ever need my company, just give me a heads-up." She walked past Guile. "Let's go, Agumon. We must find Kunemon."

With that, Fortuna and Agumon paced away from Guile.

_Those people were nice._

However, Guile was still doubtful if he should join them. They were probably trustworthy, but were they competent allies?

He believed that he needed some time to think about working with them.

"Hey, Guile."

That calling caught his attention. He looked down to see Gabumon smiling at him.

"Let's go find Palmon now."

Guile nodded, and together with Gabumon, they resumed their walk in the forest.


	3. Appreciation

_**Native Forest**_

Fortuna still remembered the brief image of the teenage boy in Guile's eyes. He was Guile's younger self, and what happened to him implied something disturbing. Lying on the floor teary-eyed, he struggled to push off the huge bald man who was undressing him.

Imagining what followed that scene made Fortuna squint and hiss. Poor kid. No wonder why he was such a cranky guy.

**CHAPTER 3: Appreciation**

_**Native Forest**_

Guile was strolling through the palisades of trees with Gabumon. Trees here, trees there, trees everywhere; getting out of this place should be a pain in the arse. He felt like he had passed a certain place several times and sometimes asked about it, yet Gabumon only answered that they hadn't explored this section.

He smiled at that thought; Gabumon was a good prospective ally indeed. Without that Digimon, he might find more troubles exploring the forest.

Walking, Guile looked around, hoping to find something different from fruitless trees and bushes. He had just eaten a Digimushroom earlier, but that foul-tasting food only polluted his mouth. Now, he wanted something to make him forget such disgusting taste.

After a few moments of scouting, he found nothing edible except some Digimushrooms burrowed in the soil. How annoying. Wasn't there a way to save his taste buds from dying?

Hmm, perhaps he could ask Gabumon.

"Gabumon," he began, "is Digimushroom the only kind of food here?"

"Nope."

Guile looked down at Gabumon. "There are other types of food?"

Gabumon nodded and smiled. "Yeah, there are fruits and vegetables. If you have a fishing rod, you can fish."

_Interesting._

"You're hungry?" Gabumon asked.

"I only wish to have something for dessert."

Gabumon chuckled. "The Digimushroom's taste still lingers."

"Sort of," Guile grumbled.

Thump!

Guile felt like something had just hit the back of his head.

Rubbing his throbbing skull, he turned. Weird stuff. A blue apple was lying on the ground.

"Hey, the trees around are blue apple trees. Blue apples are delicious!"

Delicious? He had to prove that with his senses first. Yeah, the thing on the ground was an apple, but the color was blue, not red or green.

Gabumon said that this weird fruit was tasty, but he would never believe in anything he heard. He would only trust the information he learnt through his senses and personal experience.

Picking up the fruit, he raised an eyebrow. It appeared that every edible thing in Digital World was larger than normal. In his world, his fingers could encompass the entirety of an apple, but here, they could barely cover the half of it.

He brought the fruit close to his nostrils. Smelled sweet. Good. This should make a nice dessert.

Crunch!

He took a bite on the apple and smiled as he chewed the bitten-off chunk. It was both juicy and sweet. Excellent. The soil-like taste of the Digimushroom earlier would soon be completely forgettable.

After swallowing the crushed chunk of the fruit, he began carving the apple with his teeth rapidly.

A few minutes later, what was left was a half-eaten blue apple with part of its core and seeds exposed. Whew. He took more time eating this fruit than a Digimushroom, but it didn't matter. He was able to cleanse his mouth from that vile taste by savoring the sweetness of this apple.

Guile opened his mouth, ready to take another bite…

Crack!

He blinked and darted off at that voice.

Quickly, he looked around. Something was wrong. Gabumon was nowhere to be found.

Bah, why did it matter? Gabumon made a fine prospective ally with his sharp senses and his okay combat ability, so he should be able to take care of himself.

Guile closed his eyes to shut his attention to the surroundings. He then bit off a small part of the apple and munched it, enjoying the sweetness of the fruit.

Thud!

Thump!

"Ahhh!"

Guile opened his eyes at that. It sounded like Gabumon's voice, which was coming from a distance. Was he in a trouble?

Hmph, not his problem. Gabumon should be able to manage things by himself.

Guile calmly chewed the apple in his mouth before swallowing it.

Pow!

Crash!

The loudness of the noise prompted Guile to open his eyes and inspect the surroundings.

What the heck?

Gabumon was sprawled on the ground, bruised and battered with twigs and leaves scattered across his muddy body. He was gasping for breath with his eyes closed.

"That's what you get for taking my stuff without my permission, boy."

A hoarse voice? That didn't belong to Gabumon for sure; the Digimon seemed to be too breathless to speak.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Something was coming from his left side.

Guile turned to see who the stranger was.

A reddish brown Digimon jumped over the bushes and landed in front of Guile. His eyes were narrow. His mouth was full of shiny fangs. His legs were non-existent, and what acted as his arms were tentacles with spiky club-like ends.

"Boy, you sure need a lesson or two," the Digimon said. "Everything in this area belongs to me."

Guile threw away the half-eaten apple and clenched his fists. He needed eating too, not just this weird Digimon.

"Guile, be careful…"

That weak voice… Was it Gabumon's?

Right. Guile looked down and found that Gabumon had managed to open his eyes.

"RedVegiemon is dangerous. He is a Champion level Digimon."

Guile raised an eyebrow. He didn't understand what Gabumon was talking about.

"Clever boy." RedVegiemon chuckled. "Let me tell you something. Here, there are six Digimon levels. I'm telling you what they are from the lowest to the highest level: Fresh, Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega."

"And Gabumon's level is lower than a Champion I assume," Guile muttered.

All of a sudden, he sprang and landed a boot on RedVegiemon's face. The kick sent the Digimon tumbling backwards.

"That's all I need to know. Thanks." Guile raised an arm, preparing to cast a spell. "I doubt that you're a Champion level Digimon. You keel over just because of a kick."

"Don't get cocky, boy!"

RedVegiemon stretched his right tentacle arm and swung it.

Guile ducked, dodging the attack entirely.

But he didn't see a tentacle coming from the other side.

Whap!

The 'spiked club' hit Guile's right waist. The impact sent him falling flat on his left side.

RedVegiemon got up and raised his stretched arms. "Offense is the best defense, boy."

The mace-like arms came down.

Guile rolled to his right by reflex.

Crash!

The arms bludgeoned nothing but the earth, sending broken twigs and dried leaves into the air.

Guile was out of RedVegiemon's reach.

RedVegiemon hopped towards Guile. "Rotten Rainballs!" He drew in a long, hearty breath.

At this, Guile stood up and rushed towards RedVegiemon with his right fist pulled back. Interrupting the Digimon should be the best way.

Wrong!

His face caught the purple gas spraying from RedVegiemon's gaping maw.

Stinky gas. It smelled like a rotten meat.

A building feeling of pain suddenly rippled throughout his body. His vision was blurring and spinning. In just a few moments, numbness overtook one leg, then another, then an arm, and finally, his other arm.

Unable to control his body, Guile slowly slumped to the ground.

"Guile!" Gabumon's concerned scream rang in his ears.

Guile raised his head. Gritting his teeth, he gave RedVegiemon a defiant glare. Sure, he could barely move his limbs now, but he wasn't going to surrender. Giving up wasn't his nature.

"You're still alive after getting hit point-blank by Rotten Rainballs?" RedVegiemon asked. "Never mind. You're too weak to fight back now." He raised his stretched arms.

Two blows landed on Guile's back simultaneously.

Crack!

The pressure broke his spines and forced some blood out of his mouth.

Guile's vision was failing. RedVegiemon was now nothing but a blur of brown amidst the greenery.

However, he could still see that RedVegiemon had leapt back. What was the Digimon planning to do?

His intuition told him that the RedVegiemon was going for a killing blow. The Digimon had raised a stretch arm and brought it coming down upon his head.

Crash!

Blood was trickling down his messed-up hair and muddy face.

But he was still alive.

And he wouldn't give up.

Slowly, he raised his head and spat out a mixture of soil and blood.

"You're still alive?" RedVegiemon asked. He raised his stretched arm again. "Boy, you're persistent!"

"Stay away from Guile!"

Huh? Gabumon?

Right. It was Gabumon. He was charging headfirst, ready to impale RedVegiemon with his horn.

"Go away, small fry," RedVegiemon muttered. He performed a swiping motion with his other arm.

Pow!

The mace-like tentacle arm smashed into Gabumon's face. The impact knocked the horned Digimon aside and sent him grazing against the earth for several meters.

"Gabumon!" Guile shouted, looking at the sprawled Gabumon. This was the first time Guile could show his concern towards his prospective ally – no, his ally. Gabumon had fought hard and even tried to protect him. There was no reason to neglect this Digimon; instead, Guile had better appreciate him more.

"See ya!" RedVegiemon brought his arm down.

At the same time, Guile heard a familiar voice calling out his name.

Guile knew who screamed that.

Crash!

The blow sent Guile's face planting into the soil.

But that would never be enough to bring him down.

He had to win. It was the only way to protect Gabumon.

Slowly, Guile stood up and glared at RedVegiemon.

"Boy, you're tough!" the red Digimon said, raising an arm. "I wonder how much more you can take."

Soon, the mace-like tentacle arm came down, ready to bludgeon Guile's head.

Guile caught it with his hands and gripped it tightly.

Roaring, he spun around and threw RedVegiemon away into the sky.

He then growled, reaching out his right hand with his palm facing the flying Digimon.

As purple electricity began crackling along his forearm, he shouted, "Lightning Wave!"

A streaming bolt of lightning hurtled towards RedVegiemon.

On collision, a loud scream was audible as the thunderbolt reduced the plant-like Digimon to nothing but ashes.

It was over.

Despite trembling due to his injuries, Guile quickly limped towards Gabumon. The Digimon was someone who deserved appreciation, which Guile failed to give earlier because of trust issues.

"Hey, you're really strong!" Gabumon smiled, slowly getting up to his feet.

"You too," Guile muttered. "It's all thanks to you."

"Me? Well, you do most of the job. You took so many hits, but you still fought back and won!"

"No, it was your concern that made me stronger than usual."

"Huh? Really?" Gabumon blushed.

Guile nodded and offered a hand.

"Eh?"

"Sorry for not appreciating you earlier. I always felt rather insecure with a stranger."

Gabumon gently grabbed Guile's grubby hand and shook it. "Not a big deal."

As their hands slipped away from each other, Guile said, "By the way, let's go find Palmon."

"Sure thing!"

Together, they set off.

Walking wasn't easy for Guile. He was limping all the way and had tripped over some branches several times. Falling down added more pain and injuries to his broken body. His blurred vision made his journey harder as well. There were times he would have bumped into a tree if he hadn't been travelling with Gabumon.

While he was glad that Gabumon made a great companion, he began to wonder if Gabumon felt better now. His sight was still a tad blurry, but he could determine that Gabumon didn't limp anymore. Also, most of the bruises on his body had vanished.

"Gabumon, you can recover without healing items or something like that?"

"Yeah. The recovery usually depends on our mood," Gabumon explained. "If we're relaxed and happy, we can recover faster."

"I see."

"Sadly, because Digital World is a world made of data, it doesn't apply to you because you aren't made of data."

"I can live with that." Guile snickered. "I only need some bandages, medicines, and a nap to recover. Perhaps a healing spell will help, but since I barely learn anything about it, it's just additional."

"You're tough!"

"Because I'm used to it. I must admit that my endurance comes from my profession as a bounty hunter. I frequently pick fights with crooks. Although I know many deadly spells, I must engage the targets with my fists to avoid deaths; else I won't get paid."

"Sounds like an interesting job!"

"Definitely. I especially enjoy fighting strong crooks."

Soon, it became silent again. Guile and Gabumon continued their journey in the forest. As they walked, they looked around, hoping to find Palmon.

They had soon spent about ten minutes of walking and searching, yet they hadn't found anything interesting. The only thing that currently grabbed their interest was that the forest trail was coming to an end; the number of trees was diminishing as they moved on.

There appeared to be something like a meadow further ahead.

Correction, it was a flowerbed. Trees were non-existent there, which made the sunlight a tad blinding to the eyes.

"Hey, Guile." Gabumon stopped walking and sniffed the air. "I think I smell Palmon's scent."

"Scent?"

"As a plant Digimon, Palmon can discharge some kind of scent. The aroma depends on her mood." Gabumon snickered. "For now, she's happy. I smell something sweet."

Sweet scent? Guile immediately sniffed the air. Right. Although the fragrant aroma was weak, he could compare the scent to that of a jasmine's.

He immediately rushed, following the fragrance all the way. The redolence was growing stronger as he moved, telling him that Palmon should be nearby.

Suddenly, the pleasant scent turned into the stench of rotten meat.

Wincing, Guile trod the daisy-laden ground without covering his nose. He still needed his sense of smell to find Palmon.

When the stench grew strong enough to make him pale and nauseous, he stopped to look around. Palmon should be near.

Right. In front of him, there was a moving pink flower with a hook-like object on top of it.

"Palmon?" he asked quietly, bending to get a closer look of the flower.

The only answer he earned was a loud 'Poison Ivy' and a tendril shooting out from beneath the flower.

Before Guile could make a move, the vine had managed to coil around his neck. He managed to raise his hands to grab the tendril tightly and pull it, but numbness soon overtook his body and caused his hands to slip.

Then, everything went black.


End file.
